ZANESVILLE − The Muskingum County Neighborhood Basis and the J.W. and M.H. Straker Charitable Basis awarded the final of the Make Muskingum House grants just lately, serving to 13 individuals repay their scholar loans.
This system was conceived final 12 months as a solution to encourage individuals to dwell and work in Muskingum County, and fight mind drain. Initially, Make Muskingum House deliberate to award as much as $50,000 to 10 individuals, however, as a result of a number of the candidates had lower than $50,000 in scholar mortgage debt, three extra individuals have been capable of make the most of this system. The foundations will make direct funds to the scholars’ mortgage debt holders, as much as $10,000 a 12 months for 5 years. They obtained 43 candidates.
Samantha Berry was one of many people to obtain a grant. Initially from Columbus, she moved to Zanesville in 2020 together with her husband and 4 kids. A hairstylist by commerce, she moved to Zanesville to work in a salon and is working to open her personal, The Glammed Room, on East Pike. Paying off her scholar loans, some $19,000, will enable her to get her salon open and work towards a cellular salon. “I’ve all the time needed to go cellular,” she mentioned, “so I can journey to those that are aged, or go to Columbus. I’ve a number of women who do hair in Columbus who need to come to Zanesville. This is able to be superior to dwell the dream.”
She labored laborious to get the place she is, Berry mentioned. “I am so completely satisfied,” she mentioned. “It is a blessing, I am grateful.”
Tristan Rock graduated from Zanesville Excessive College in 2014, then Ohio Dominican College, the place he graduated with a double main in accounting and finance. He returned to ODU for a grasp’s diploma in management administration. He completed his schooling in 2020 earlier than beginning at an accounting agency in Columbus. In November 2021, he began working in Zanesville whereas residing in Newark.
“I all the time anticipated to dwell Columbus or a much bigger metropolis” as soon as he grew up, he mentioned. “As soon as I obtained to Columbus and lived in Newark I noticed I used to be lacking one thing, I used to be lacking the sense of dwelling and neighborhood that Zanesville has.
“Individuals from Zanesville take delight in Zanesville, and that’s one thing I needed to be part of,” he mentioned.
This system will cowl $36,500, his total scholar mortgage steadiness.
“It a huge weight off my shoulders, off my household’s shoulders, it permits me a lot extra alternatives to make use of that cash higher myself, my household, and the neighborhood and make investments myself again locally,” he mentioned. This freed up 10 to fifteen years of scholar mortgage funds, he mentioned.
Erin Britton was born in Zanesville, however her household moved to Tennessee when she was 5. She all the time loved returning to go to household. “So long as I can keep in mind I all the time mentioned that I might transfer again,” she mentioned.
She made her return earlier than studying concerning the Make Muskingum House program. “It was actually a good way to make the transition to a brand new place and the need to keep loads simpler, understanding that there are such issues for school graduates and younger adults and understanding that the individuals right here care concerning the subsequent technology and need to assist them,” she mentioned. She is an inside designer with Ashley Moyer inside design. The Make Muskingum House program awarded her $50,000, which is able to cowl everything of her scholar debt.
Different grant recipients have been Madison Ashby, Carter Brown, Hannah Cameron, Alyssa Keeley, Vanessa Morgan, Ashley Nolan, Stacy Russell, Madison Shackles, Haley Shaw and Arika Swigart.
“It’s a fantastic feeling to know you make a distinction in individuals’s lives,” mentioned Straker Basis President and Govt Director Susan Holdren.
Brian Wagner, government director of the Muskingum County Neighborhood Basis, mentioned this system will assist drive the native financial system. It’s going to enable individuals who formally had scholar debt to make funding elsewhere, like buying a house, or opening a enterprise. “This solely helps our financial system regionally, over time as nicely,” he mentioned, as small companies probably develop into bigger ones.
“We’re investing in these people to come back and contribute to Muskingum County,” Wagner mentioned.
Holdren mentioned this system is an efficient recruiting software for corporations, and he or she hopes native companies can contribute to future fundraising efforts for this system.
“We might like to do one other spherical, after we do it is determined by {dollars} we are able to increase,” Wagner mentioned. The Straker Basis has dedicated funding, and the MCCF will proceed to boost matching funds, he mentioned.
Whereas this 12 months’s group of recipients had a wide range of careers, Holdren mentioned she want to see extra tradespeople apply within the subsequent spherical.
For extra data, go to the Straker Basis web site, or the MCCF web site.
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